NFIB Weekly News
Leading the News
Editorial Board calls CTA unconstitutional, citing NFIB’s lawsuit (04/21/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 21, 2026) – In a new Washington Post column, the Editorial Board argues that the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) is unconstitutional and should be repealed, citing NFIB’s lawsuit. The Editorial Board explains that the CTA has led to significant financial costs and privacy concerns for small business owners.
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NFIB releases new Issue Brief outlining how the unnecessary regulation would burden Main Street (04/08/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 8, 2026) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation's leading small business advocacy organization, opposes the implementation of a one-size-fits-all heat standard, as proposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 2024. The proposed regulation would impose significant and unnecessary compliance burdens on Main Street businesses, ultimately disrupting production and leading to higher operating costs. NFIB released a new issue brief today outlining why small businesses are opposing the regulation.
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Repealing Beneficial Ownership Information mandate will protect privacy and reduce regulatory costs for small business (03/17/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 17, 2026) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, submitted testimony for the record to the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services ahead of its hearing entitled “Updating America’s Financial Privacy Framework for the 21st Century.” The testimony urges Congress to immediately protect small businesses by repealing the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and deleting the Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) that millions of small businesses were required to file with the federal government.
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NEW NFIB REPORT: How Energy Costs Impact Small Businesses (02/18/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 18, 2026) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) released its new Small Business Energy Survey. The report is based on a nationwide survey of small business owners, providing insight into the types of energy used and how energy costs impact business operations.
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NFIB Joins Coalition Urging Treasury to Issue Final BOI Rule, Destroy Previously Collected Data (01/20/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 20, 2026) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, joined more than 100 trade associations in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent calling for an immediate purge of the Corporate Transparency Act’s (CTA) Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) database of all U.S. businesses that already filed and for the quick promulgation of the final rule exempting U.S. businesses from the burdensome reporting requirements.
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NFIB to Congress: Advance Small Business Priorities in 2026 (01/06/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 6, 2026) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, released its “Small Business Legislative Priorities for 2026” which highlights input from NFIB small business members and reflects the top small business legislative priorities for the remainder of the 119th Congress.
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Business Climate
Small business optimism decreased in March as reports of positive profit trends worsened (04/14/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 14, 2026) – The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index fell 3.0 points in March to 95.8, leaving it below its 52-year average of 98.0. The last time the Optimism Index fell below its historical average was April 2025. The Uncertainty Index rose 4 points from February to 92, well above its historical average of 68.
“The 20% Small Business Deduction and other supportive small business tax provisions in the Working Families Tax Cut Act have had many positives for small business owners,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “However, the dramatic spike in oil prices has spooked consumers and owners alike. Small business owners are having to absorb those higher input costs and pass them along to their customers.”
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New NFIB Op-Ed: Small Businesses Compete – Why Can’t Credit Card Companies? (02/17/2026)
Washington, D.C. (Feb. 17, 2026) – In a new op-ed in RealClearPolitics, Adam Temple, NFIB Senior Vice President for Advocacy writes about the crisis American small businesses are facing due to credit card swipe fees. Temple urges lawmakers to support Main Street by passing the bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act.
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Progress Continues to Lower Credit Card Swipe Fees (01/20/2026)
Credit card costs have more than doubled since 2012. More transactions than ever before use credit cards, which adds a 2-3% fee per swipe. This amounts to tens of thousands of dollars per year that small business owners are forced to pay credit card processing companies to operate their business.
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NEW NFIB SURVEY: Small Business Optimism Continues to Rise (01/13/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 13, 2026) – The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose 0.5 points in December to 99.5 and remained above its 52-year average of 98. Of the 10 Optimism Index components, two increased, three decreased, and five were unchanged. An increase in those expecting better business conditions primarily drove the rise in the Optimism Index. The Uncertainty Index fell 7 points from November to 84, the lowest reading since June 2024.
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The Small Business Rundown covers critical tax changes in recent legislation (01/05/2026)
A new tax law allows workers to make significant tax deductions, including up to $12,500 per year for qualified overtime compensation ($25,000 for joint filers) and up to $25,000 per year in tips deductions. While these tax deductions are employee-driven, small business employers do have a reporting requirement on W2 forms for workers to realize these deductions.
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New NFIB Survey Shows Industry-Specific Optimism Trends (11/25/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 25, 2025) – The NFIB Research Center released an industry-specific quarterly Small Business Economic Trends survey highlighting the construction, manufacturing, retail, and services industries. According to the report, the Optimism Index fell from the previous quarter for all reported industries except for construction.
“Small business optimism fell in all reported industries except for construction, which was the most optimistic out of the four industries due to higher sales expectations and hiring plans,” said Holly Wade, Executive Director of NFIB’s Research Center. “Despite the diverging trends in optimism among industry sectors, 63% of small business owners rated the health of their business as excellent or good.”
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Wages and Benefits
What “No Tax on Tips” and “No Tax on Overtime” Means for Your Business (04/17/2026)
On July 4, 2025, H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, was signed into law, and of most significance for NFIB members, it made the 20% Small Business Deduction permanent. The Act, however, includes two provisions—“no tax on tips” and “no tax on overtime”—that also impact small business owners. Both deductions took effect for the 2025 tax year and expire after the 2028 tax year.
No Tax on Tips
The new law allows employees who “customarily and regularly received tips” to deduct up to $25,000 in tips from their taxable income, so long as they include their social security number on their tax return. In addition, the tip credit has been expanded to include barber shops, nail salons, spas, and esthetics.
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Main Street continues searching for qualified applicants (04/02/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 2, 2026) – NFIB’s March Jobs Report shows that the Small Business Employment Index fell 1.9 points to 101.6. Despite the decline, the current reading remains above the 2025 average of 101.2 and the historical average of
In March, 32% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill, down 1 point from February. Unfilled job openings remain above the historical average of 24%. Twenty-seven percent have openings for skilled workers (down 1 point), and 12% have openings for unskilled labor (up 2 points).
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NFIB Jobs Report: Employment Index Ticks Up (03/05/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 5, 2026) – NFIB’s February Jobs Report shows that the Small Business Employment Index ticked up nearly 1 point to 103.5, showing further tightness after January consolidated the gains measured in December. This current reading is 2.3 points above the 2025 average of 101.2, and 3.5 points above the historical average of 100.
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NFIB Jobs Report: Owners Report Mixed Employment Conditions (01/08/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 8, 2026) – NFIB’s December jobs report found that 33% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in December, unchanged from November. Unfilled job openings remain above the historical average of 24%. Twenty-eight percent have openings for skilled workers (up 2 points), and 10% have openings for unskilled labor (down 2 points).
“The economic climate continues to support the small business labor market,” said Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “Although employment conditions vary, fewer owners report labor as their biggest challenge while compensation pressures are escalating.”
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NFIB Jobs Report: Owners Continue Searching for Qualified Applicants (12/04/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 4, 2025) – NFIB’s November jobs report found that 33% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in November, up 1 point from October and the first increase since June. Unfilled job openings remain above the historical average of 24%. Twenty-six percent have openings for skilled workers (down 2 points), and 12% have openings for unskilled labor (up 1 point).
“The economy has continued to grow steadily despite the recent government shutdown,” said Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “On Main Street, job growth continues to be constrained by a lack of qualified employees.”
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NFIB Jobs Report: Job Openings Slowing But Remain Solid (11/06/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 6, 2025) – NFIB’s October jobs report found that 32% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in October, unchanged for the second consecutive month. Before August, the last time unfilled job openings hit 32% was in December 2020. Twenty-eight percent have openings for skilled workers (unchanged from September), and 11% have openings for unskilled labor (down 2 points).
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